Saturn Askew [649x649]

Feeling a tad bit guilty for being so forward--they knew they wouldn’t have wanted someone to hug them like that--Callisto let go of the guy and took the invitation to dig in, snatching the little paper sack back up and digging into it, pulling out one of the few food items in it. It was glittery to te point of looking inedible, but Callisto started in on it anyways.

“What’s your name, mister?” They had to admit, they were pretty curious about this monster. Not too many others had worried much about Callisto’s well-being, and help wasn’t something they’d come by too often in their trip Underground. Besides... Maybe he could be a friend.

While they waited for his answer, they continued to wolf down the burger like it was the first thing they’d eaten in weeks. And to be fair, it was actually the most substantial thing they had eaten that week. 

At first he tried to play off the kid’s gratitude - sure he’d risked his job and all, but Burgerpants planned to brush it off like it was nothing. Just a couple burgers and a steak. That cost seven hundred and forty gold in total. 

“It’s nothin’-” Then they hugged him. His first instinct was to seize up - his fur stood on end and he held his arms high above them, stock still, gaping down like a catfish. Every muscle in his body was tense and rigid in shock. It wasn’t everyday (or any day honestly) that he was embraced, especially so graciously. 

“Uh…Yeah, little buddy.” After a second BP relaxed. His arms lowered, hovering at his sides hesitantly before he completely eased up. It was still awkward of course but it wasn’t so bad. A little affection and appreciation went a long way for a grizzled, exhausted guy like him. 

It was a hell of a lot better than getting whacked by his boss with a newspaper, that was for sure.

Patting their head gingerly once, twice, he motioned towards their food. “It’s no problem. Go ahead and dig in, kid. I can stick around for a couple more minutes, make sure dogs don’t try an’ snatch it up or something while you eat.”

✿ send me a floral question ✿

Daisy: How old were you when you had your first kiss?

Carnation: If I handed you a concert ticket right now, who would you want to be the performer?

Jasmine: What color looks best on you?

foxglove: Name three facts about your family?

Allium: What's the best thing you can cook?

Orange Blossom: If you could pick the gender and appearance of your child, would you?

Calla Lily: If you died right now, what song would you want to play at your funeral?

Poinsettia: Favorite holiday dish?

Oxlip: Would you ever get into a long distance relationship?

Primrose: Favorite kind of soup?

Daffodil: What's the most thoughtful present you've ever received?

Rose: Are you currently in love with someone?

Amsonia: Would you ever become a vegan?

Peony: What's your favorite hot beverage?

Tulip: For your birthday, what kind of cake do you ask for?

Myrtle: Do you like going on airplanes?

Hibiscus: Did you ever play an instrument? If so what?

Zinnia: Who was your best friend when you were six years old?

Poppy: What color was your childhood home?

Hydrangea: Starbucks order?

Violet: Do you like where you're from?

Locust: What was your favorite book as a child?

Rhododendron: What's the scariest dream you've ever had?

Queen Anne's Lace: Would you rather carve pumpkins or wrap presents?

Magnolia: Favorite kind of candy?

Aster: Would you rather be cold or hot?

Marigold: Do you listen to what's on the radio?

Heliconia: Do you like when it rains?

Azalea: What's a movie you cried while watching?

Dandelion: Do you think you're important?

Pluto’s Crecent

If you haven’t yet explored this full 8888 X 5000 Pluto shot, check it out here.

Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI

I saw this image when I was a kid. The photograph of Jupiter taken by NASAs Voyager. Beautiful. But nothing special until shown in rapid succession. Suddenly Jupiter was alive. Breathing. I was hypnotized.

The most important exercise you’ll do all day.

xoxo

Too invested in looking over their notes, Callisto really wasn’t paying any attention to their surroundings until Burgerpants returned with the glittery bag. Glamorous wasn’t a very appetizing smell, but it had their stomach rumbling again. Instead of smiling timidly, Callisto’s thinned face broke out in a wide grin. They were both excited and grateful at the prospect of fresh, warm food.

“I didn’t see that, don’t worry!” They dropped their journal almost instantaneously to accept the food.

“It smells so good, I--oh my gosh, thank you,” Opening the bag, Callisto peered in. It was more food than they’d seen in the last week. On any other day, they wouldn’t have touched any of it, but with as hungry as they were... Well, it felt like this monster had just given them the equivalent of a Thanksgiving dinner. Callisto felt like they might cry. Instead of digging right in, they first closed the back back up and set it atop their journal carefully before wrapping their arms around Burgerpants’s waist in a tight hug. They didn’t think they’d ever be able to thank him enough, let alone repay him. He had risked his job, after all.

“Thank you thank you thank you, mister!”

The sensible half of his brain was telling Burgerpants to stroll right back into the kitchen and forget all about the kid. Let someone else handle them. They’d been taking care of themselves well enough for this long - which, he ruefully had to admit, was not true. And damn, when the scrawny little thing spoke up all abashed and their stomach grumbled, he couldn’t just go back in his word. It was way too late for the ol’ cat to back out by then. 

 “Okay. Okay, so,” He started, “I’ll hope back in, snag a glamburger and…uh, looks like you’re gonna need more than one little buddy. Alright, um, Alright a few glamburgers the. Yeah, sounds good.”

Soon as he scrambled up a plan BP brought his blunt up to his lips one more time, soothing his anxieties for a second. “I hope this doesn’t end up like last time with those two dumpster girls.” 

 Mumbling to himself, a habit almost as bad as his smoking, the stressed MTT employee slipped off into the building. Several monsters sauntered inside the resort from time to time. They hardly paid a second glance at Callisto; but just as a moldsmal passed by Burgerpants finally returned after a good twenty minutes. A couple swears later and a ferocious, jiggly scolding later he stood before Callisto once more. 

 “Um…I got you the food. A couple glamburgers. One fell out when…did you see? When I ran into that guy?“ He held out a glittery doggy bag while babbling. Strange that burgers could smell so…glamorous. "I dropped one. Sorry, little buddy. But! I got a you a steak too. So that should be enough, um…”

The echo was warm, welcoming, fatherly. Despite themself, Callisto felt a suddenly sharp stab of loneliness. A hesitant hand reached to touch the bioluminescent bloom, feeling the soft petals. Cupping their hands around the back of the echo flower, Callisto brought it closer to them again, whispering softly into it.

“ ... I ‘ m  s t a r t i n g  m y  o r b i t  a r o u n d  J u p i t e r ...”

The child glanced back over at Gaster as the echo flower whispered back, smiling a little. They doubted he realized the significance of the nickname. He probably didn’t even know what it meant. That didn’t seem to bother them in the slightest. Callisto held their ear a little closer to the flower, trying to hear any fault in the replication of their voice and hearing none. The sound was immaculately clear at first, and as soft as the echo flower’s petals.

Little Moon? How curious.

The minuscule detail was noticed in the back of Gaster’s mind; he was much more interested in Callisto’s behavior.

In the Underground there weren’t many children. Few as they were, he saw even less with his job occupation. Regulation of the Core and certain experiments weren’t suitable for most children, and as much as Gaster loved science (with all his heart, really) he sometimes felt a pang in his soul at that. Children were so full of youth and life, so new to the world they lived in. Everything was magical to them.

Observing Callisto, he noted how they were in awe of the sotto voce imitations. The monster and human were illuminated a ethereal blue - the echo flowers also mimicked the infinitely distant starlight and comets in the high above galaxy, even further away beneath Mt. Ebott. It was beautiful. It was harmonious.

Gaster smiled.

“… L i t t l e  M o o n , L i t t l e  M o o n , h o w  d o  y o u  d o … ?”

Send me “Can you ever forgive me?” for my muse’s reaction